http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la-hSjKP2TU&feature=player_embedded
Most of this guys seam to not care about landing sideways.... is this some new x-wind procedures that I want to be flying with? What are your guys thoughts on this?

While I can't comment on every aircraft type, I'll make a general statement. It's common to hold the crab in until the flare, but it should be kicked out to align the longitudinal axis with the centerline. I'll occasionally fly with a guy that just has poor x-wind skills and I cringe. Often those guys are helo and/or Navy/Marines guys. By and large though, people at least make an attempt to get the upwind wheel down first.

Now flying out of JFK, I see a lot of international carriers and it is more common to see them lay it on with no attempt to straighten it out. The bigger the plane, the more you see it. Some have low hanging engines and may have a bank limit, so that may play a factor as well.

As a side note, I think this is generally an area that gets neglected in primary training. I'm always coming across guys doing flight reviews/proficiency checks that struggle with crosswind landings. I believe it is because their primary instructors didn't take them out on windy days and really teach them how to handle crosswinds. A disservice in my book. And more often than not, probably because their instructors didn't do it for them and they also never developed the skill...and may even be a little scared of them...or at least not comfortable or confident in them.

My vote for best x wind technique goes to the Air Berlin drivers.

Crzyivan13 wrote:My vote for best x wind technique goes to the Air Berlin drivers.

How about it. They were "better enough" that I noticed them too.

Most of the landings gave a attempt to slip at the last second... good but few had it alined with the the forward motion of the plane at touch down. I don't know about you but after flying tailwheels and seeing that I would feel very uncomfortable being a passenger on the flights. when do they come to a point at which they are going to damage the gear? The Best landing has to go to the second to the last landing in the video.... dehavilland guy... upwind tire downwind tire nose gear all on the center line... must have been a tailwheel pilot

You can't apply your little plane experience to what you see here.
Those massive engines don't allow for the slip you are trained to do.
Keeping the crab angle as long as is needed is what they are all doing.
Even after touchdown if they deem it appropriate.
They are not worried about side loading the gear much.... since there is little traction on the tires.
Pretty slippery if you notice.
Vote if you wish.... but they all got to the gate and the paying public went on their way, safe and sound.
Well done I say... to the pilots!!!

A former airline captain friend told me that because of the engine placement, they can't do a wing-low, so they must crab to a landing, but they kick the rudder hard to attempt to straighten it just before touchdown if possible. Not exactly the best technique for us to use, but it works for airliners, most of the time. When I saw the A380 touchdown at OSH in a fair crosswind, however, I wondered if he wasn't going to lose it--wasn't pretty. There are several Youtube videos of it; Google "airbus a380 landing at oshkosh".

Cary

I can tell you with certainty that the A320 can handle up to the 39 knot gust limit with absolutely no need to land in a crab. Yes, fly the crab to the flare, but then kick it out and lower the wing just like you would in a Cessna and it lands just fine with the appropriate aileron in one direction and the appropriate opposite rudder applied.

The only airliners in the video that I have any experience with are the CRJ and 737. The point about not banking much is quite valid. Also, slips are kinky in swept wing airplanes because it tends to lead to dutch-rolling (something we are trying to prevent). Another thing is the rudder on the 737 is so powerful, and creates so much drag when applied, that it takes considerable practice to do without slamming the airplane on the runway. The good news is that because of its shape and its mass, the X-wind has little effect to blow the airplane across the runway, once it's kicked straight -- so no need to bank. Still requires plenty of attention to tracking straight down the centerline, what with all that wind blowing on that big tail. Lands pretty fast, too, in the 140kt range, if heavy.

Just thought I would add, in case no one knew, that all (???) the heavies have castoring main gear trucks.

Once upon a time in another life, while doing a 47 walk around, I noticed the potential for castoring but as was a flight control guy I had to ask one of the other more experienced line mechanics if that was really the case. The old guy I had asked, at Piane Field but I don't recall his name, then took the time to give me an eye opening tour-lesson of 747 gear.

Rocket

The Global Express and other aircraft with a similar "highly swept" wing run an additional risk of dragging a wingtip if you land with just a few degrees of bank. In the Global Express, just over 6 degrees of bank combined with a fully flared landing could result in contact. With landing speeds of 92-115 kts on a plane that took off at 98,600 lbs, the load on the gear going that slow and weighing only 45,000 -60,000 lbs at landing is pretty low. The gear is designed and tested to take those extreme side-loads. No, it isn't very comfortable for the passengers, but neither are fire trucks showing up to look at the broken winglet.

Jughead